Choose Deep Despair
Choose Deep Despair if it's currently about 85% cheaper on the Steam Store. Deep Despair launched in 2020.
Deep Despair vs Core Keeper
Deep Despair and Core Keeper both land in Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Deep Despair (2020) is 4 years older than Core Keeper (2024). Core Keeper scores higher on Steam reviews (94.8% positive) than Deep Despair (68.4% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Core Keeper
Choose Core Keeper if you want the Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.8% positive across 22,806 reviews.
Both Deep Despair and Core Keeper sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Deep Despair |  Core Keeper | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 2.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 68.4% positive (155 reviews) | 94.8% positive (22,806 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | BekkerDev Studio | Pugstorm |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Deep Despair (2020) is 4 years older than Core Keeper (2024).
- Core Keeper scores higher on Steam reviews (94.8% positive) than Deep Despair (68.4% positive).
- Deep Despair is currently ~85% cheaper on Steam than Core Keeper (2.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Core Keeper has co-op; Deep Despair does not.
- Steam Deck: Deep Despair is Deck Playable, Core Keeper is Deck Verified.
Deep Despair vs Core Keeper — FAQ
- Which is better, Deep Despair or Core Keeper?
- On Steam reviews Core Keeper scores higher (94.8% positive) than Deep Despair (68.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Core Keeper is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Deep Despair or Core Keeper first?
- If you want chronology, Deep Despair (2020) came out before Core Keeper (2024). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Deep Despair and Core Keeper similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Deep Despair have multiplayer like Core Keeper?
- No. Core Keeper supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Deep Despair is listed as single-player only.